Convertible garment bag



Dec. 13, 1966 P. KOMROFF CONVERTIBLE GARMENT BAG 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept.

FIG. 3

IN VEN TOR. PAUL KOMROFF 65 ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 13, 1966 P. KOMROFF CONVERTIBLE GARMENT BAG 2 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Sept. 1, 1965 INVENTOR. PAUL KOM/IOl-"F LV/ 1 ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent CONVERTIBLE GARMENT BAG Paul Komroif, 390 Broadwell Ave., Union, NJ. Filed Sept. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 484,309 6 Claims. (Cl. 190-1) This invention relates to an improvement in luggage, and in particular, to an improved fold-over garment bag of the type which can be opened for vertical suspension of the enclosed clothes at full length, and can be folded to convenient carrying size.

The success of air travel as a mode of transportation has placed substantial demands on luggage with a view towards improvements which would effect a reduction in weight. While luggage skins and frames have undergone considerable modification towards this end, weight is also dependent upon the number of carrying cases.

An equally important consideration is the number of cases which can be comfortably manipulated by one person. For example, a small piece of luggage may be necessary only at the destination for a specific function. It nevertheless must be accounted for as additional weight and as an extra item to be carried until needed. Packing a smaller piece in a larger one will nullify the latter consideration, but not the former. Carrying the smaller piece on board, on the other hand, satisfies only the weight consideration, but does little for convenience.

Accordingly, the object of this invention is to provide a single piece of luggage with the flexibility of serving the dual function of a large and small carrying case.

It is a further object of this invention to satisfy the foregoing object by modifying the conventional garment bag inexpensively and with a minimum change in weight.

The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will best be understood by reference to the following embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a garment bag modified in accordance with the invention, in the open position;

FIG. 2 shows the garment bag closed for carrying;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective of the garment bag flap partially formed into an auxiliary luggage piece;

FIG. 4 illustrates the garment bag flap fully formed into a small carrying case;

FIGS. 5 and 6 show an alternative embodiment of the garment bag flap according to the invention.

Turning now to the invention and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2, there may be seen the conventional garment bag as modified in accordance with the invention. In FIG. 1 the bag is shown in the open condition, the hook 10 being uppermost for depending the bag from a closet rod so that it may be conveniently filled, emptied and used. In FIG. 2, the bag is shown closed for carrying by the handle 12. Closure is effected by bending the bag in the middle (the clothes generally being retained in position by a transverse cinch rod, not shown) and fastening the complementary buckle and straps 14-17.

Modification of the conventional bag occurs at inte- 3,291,266 Patented Dec. 13, 1966 rior access flap 20. Generally, this flap is stitched to or integral with the bag on one side; a slide fastener (generally a zipper) allowing the flap to be opened on the remaining three sides. In accordance with the invention, however, the main slide fastener portions 21 and 22 extend completely around the flap periphery to allow complete removal by manipulation of the fastening cam 23. It bears mentioning that conventional use may still be made of the bag by only a three-sided opening of the flap.

The interior of the flap is shown in FIG. 3. In this figure, the handles (30 and 31) straps (35 and 36) and buckles (33 and 34) have been omitted for simplicity. Stitched to the flap interior is a collapsible box 40, one side of which is constituted by a portion of the flap. This box may be made of material similar to the flap (for example, plastic lined canvas).

To lend rigidity to the box when fulfilling its function in the small piece of luggage, a rigid plastic liner 40 seats in the box as shown. Preferably, the liner is permanently secured to the box bottom by rivets 42. The liner sides 40a and 40b are hinged to the bottom piece 400 for a purpose to be explained, and are retained in position by the elastic bands 43 and 45.

The small piece of luggage is completed and takes the form shown in FIG. 4 by wrapping the lower flap portion upwardly about the box periphery and securing the flap snaps 50-52 to the box snaps 5355. Reinforcing strips 60, 61, and 62 (FIG. 3) of pressed board or plastic facilitate the construction and use of the luggage piece. It is to be noted that because the flap is off center with respect to the garment bag, the center reinforcing strip 61 does not interfere when the bag is folded to the position shown in FIG. 2.

The bag may be simply disassembled when in the condition shown in FIG. 3 by slipping the elastic bands 43 and 45 off the legs 40a and 401); the legs being pivoted downwardly to rest on the box bottom. The box bot tom is then pivoted upwardly and secured by the mating snap fasteners 47 and 48.

FIGS. 5 and 6 depict an alternative embodiment. In this embodiment, the flap 25 includes two pairs of cars 74-75, and 76-77, the outer edges of which include slide fasteners 74'-77 for joining the ears when the bag is folded as shown in FIG. 6. Reinforcing members 80, 61, and 81 lend the necessary structural rigidity to the small carrying case. Unlike the previous embodiment, in this case the portion of the flap intermediate the reinforcing members 61 and 81 must be rather carefully positioned at the garment bag center to allow its foldover. Members 82 and 83 are conventional briefcase strap-lock elements for closing and securing the case.

When not in use, the ears may be folded against the flap on its interior side where they are retained in position by snap fasteners 71 and 72..

While I have described above the principles of my invention in connection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by Way of example and notas a limitation to the scope of my invention as set forth in the objects thereof and in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. The improvement in a garment bag of the type foldable for carrying with interior access through a flap when in its extended position comprising:

means removably coupling the entire perimeter of said flap to said bag;

means on said flap for forming a pair of sides when said flap is folded in a U; engageable means disposed at both ends of said flap for the joinder thereof when said flap is in said U-shape; and means disposed at least at one end of said flap for carrying the thus formed luggage piece.

2. The improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein said means removably coupling said flap to said bag is a slide fastener, and wherein the means for forming sides comprises a collapsible box afiixed to said flap above its mid-point;

and means for maintaining said collapsible box in its box shape.

3. The improvement claimed in claim 2 further comprising means for fastening the lower flap portion to said box when said flap is bent in said U-shape.

4. The improvement claimed in claim 2 wherein the means for maintaining said box comprises a collapsible reinforcing frame of U-shaped cross-section, and means coupling said frame to said box.

5. The improvement claimed in claim 4 wherein said U-shaped reinforcing frame is seated within said box, the bottom portion of said U-shaped reinforcing frame being secured to the bottom of said box and the side portions thereof being hingeable on the bottom portion thereof;

and means on the box sides for retaining the U-shaped reinforcing frame side elements upright.

6. The garment bag improvement claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for forming sides consists essentially of two pairs of peripherally affixed ears, the pairs being equidistant from the flap center; and means for fastening correspondingly disposed ears together when the flap is bent in a U.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,774,450 12/1956 Smallberg 190-43 2,797,779 7/1957 Davis 19043 FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner. 

1. THE IMPROVEMENT IN A GARMENT BAG OF THE TYPE FOLDABLE FOR CARRYING WITH INTERIOR ACCESS THROUGH A FLAP WHEN IN ITS EXTENDED POSITION COMPRISING: MEANS REMOVABLY COUPLING THE ENTIRE PERIMETER OF SAID FLAP TO SAID BAG; MEANS ON SAID FLAP FOR FORMING A PAIR OF SIDES WHEN SAID FLAP IS FOLDED IN A U; ENGAGEABLE MEANS DISPOSED AT BOTH ENDS OF SAID FLAP FOR THE JOINDER THEREOF WHEN SAID FLAP IS IN SAID U-SHAPE; AND MEANS DISPOSED AT LEAST AT ONE END OF SAID FLAP FOR CARRYING THE THUS FORMED LUGGAGE PIECE. 